Su Ran’s dark, bright pupils suddenly constricted, a breath of air catching in her throat.
He was Lu Jingxing? How was that possible?
Perhaps he was the twin brother of the man from Room 8086? After all, this serious tone made him seem like a completely different person from the rowdy man last night.
Su Ran silently glanced at his hand. It was the same watch, and beneath the metal strap, a faint mole was barely visible.
When she had been caught in the heat of passion this morning, she had even thought that mole was sexy, kissing it repeatedly.
In her heart, Su Ran cursed fiercely: Bastard.
He hadn’t revealed his identity at the hotel, dragging it out until now, and deliberately doing it in front of others.
Did he want to see her stunned embarrassment?
Or did he want to admire her eagerly throwing herself at him to curry favor?
She recalled saying something about him being “vigorous despite his age” this morning. Men probably didn’t like being called old.
And last night, because he had nearly made her cry, hadn’t she aimed for the bullseyes on both sides of his chest and bitten down hard to vent her anger?
Su Ran was both shocked and furious. The small amount of gratitude she had felt earlier vanished by half in an instant.
It took half a second for her to recover. She extended her hand, suppressing her urge to grit her teeth, and remained as polite as possible. “President Lu, I’ve heard much about you. I am Su Ran, the Marketing Director of Tianlei Food Factory.”
Lu Jingxing acted as if nothing were amiss. He gave her hand a light squeeze before letting go, his chin gesturing slightly toward a chair. “Sit.”
The executives who had followed him in wanted to gossip but didn’t dare. They exchanged looks out of the corners of their eyes.
Every one of them was guessing: it was rare for President Lu to visit the eighth floor, and even rarer for him to be this cordial. Was it for this rejected small project, or because of this curvaceous, cold beauty?
The answer seemed self-evident.
The burly, solemn man standing behind Lu Jingxing—who must be Assistant Du—cast a brief glance at the accompanying staff.
The group understood immediately and tactfully withdrew.
Su Ran forced a slight smile and presented the folder she had prepared with both hands. “President Lu, this is the Financing Proposal. We are fully confident that we can provide high profits and high returns.”
Assistant Du took the folder and handed it to Lu Jingxing, explaining in a low voice, “According to the new food safety regulations issued in Jicheng early last month, many small and medium-sized food factories need to undergo comprehensive upgrades. Those that fail to meet the standards by the deadline will be forced to close.”
Dressed in a cold, austere aura, Lu Jingxing sat upright, his tall frame leaning back as he looked down at the documents in silence.
Seeing him sit, Su Ran also sat down quietly, taking the opportunity to observe him.
Lu Jingxing looked serious and focused while working; his expression revealed no hint of his attitude.
His “refined gentleman” act was actually much more alluring than his private persona.
After reading for a while, Lu Jingxing said indifferently, “The proposal is well-written.”
With that, he raised his long forearm. “Hand it to Department One for evaluation.”
As the folder was lifted, two thin slips of paper stuck to the back fluttered onto the table.
The eyes of all three people instinctively landed on them.
Su Ran’s face turned bright red. Oh no—in her carefulness, she had missed one detail. How had the receipts from the hospital earlier accidentally gotten stuck to the folder?
She quickly snatched back the lab results, folding the side printed with “HPV, TCT, TP” inward before tucking them into her bag. She pretended as if nothing had happened.
Assistant Du acted as if he hadn’t seen a thing and silently exited the meeting room.
Only the two of them remained.
Lu Jingxing let out a cold, soft chuckle. “Don’t trust me?”
Su Ran gave him a professional, ambiguous look. “I wouldn’t dare.”
It wasn’t appropriate to say she feared he was promiscuous and might have infected her with something, which was why she had rushed to the hospital for a checkup.
If the doctor hadn’t said it was unnecessary and had too many side effects, she had even considered taking PEP.
Lu Jingxing smiled faintly, his body leaning forward slightly. “If I told you that it was my first time as well, would you believe me?”
Su Ran sneered inwardly and countered, “May I ask how old you are, President Lu?”
Everyone understood the implication of that question. A man like him, an adult in his prime—who would believe his private life was as bland as plain water?
Hmph, first time? Maybe the first time today.
Lu Jingxing didn’t seem to care what she thought, side-stepping the issue. “I’ll be twenty-seven in just over two months. Thinking about preparing a birthday gift for me in advance?”
Su Ran arched her eyebrows slightly. “When the time comes, I’ll prepare a box of Tianlei’s ‘Pine and Crane’ longevity peaches for you, President Lu. A gift set.”
Lu Jingxing let out a frustrated laugh. “I’d rather you make them for me yourself.”
Su Ran replied generously, “If President Lu is willing to invest, Tianlei will cover all your future pastries.”
Lu Jingxing lifted his eyelids slightly. “Oh? So you want to keep me?”
Su Ran really wanted to punch his high-bridged nose. It would be a pity for such a handsome nose not to bleed a little.
Without waiting for Su Ran to respond, Lu Jingxing continued, “It’s possible, but don’t ask for me too frequently. I’m usually quite busy.”
Just a moment ago, he had been the image of a cold, noble CEO, but the moment others left, he revealed his true colors. He had more layers of deception than a magician’s trunk.
Even the most famous hypocrites would have to call him “Master” and offer up their secret manuals for him to practice in the shadows.
“President Lu is joking. I don’t have that much face or courage.”
Lu Jingxing’s well-defined fingers loosened his dark blue silk tie. As his fingertips brushed against his prominent Adam’s apple, his voice became magnetic and seductive. “On the contrary, I think you’re quite bold.”
Su Ran avoided his naked gaze, the tips of her ears gradually heating up.
Only hours ago, this very silk tie had been pulled off by him with great force and wrapped around her to measure her chest and waist.
At that time, he had used this same tone, pressing against her back and saying her waist was so fair and soft that he couldn’t bear to finish too soon.
Su Ran’s throat felt dry, and she cleared it. “Is there anything else President Lu needs to know about our company? I can explain it to you.”
Lu Jingxing didn’t answer. He took out a black room card with gold lettering and placed it on the table with a clack. “I’ve booked 8086 for a year. Interested in continuing last night’s game?”
A one-night stand where they served as each other’s “antidote,” and he called it a game.
Although Su Ran approved of Lu Jingxing’s “capabilities” and appearance, she wasn’t so open-minded that she was looking for a regular bed partner.
Otherwise, given her looks, she wouldn’t have waited until she was twenty-three and been with Xue Yi for six months before finally losing her virginity last night.
As for Lu Jingxing, making this demand now was nothing more than using the investment as a bargaining chip.
Yesterday was a special case. It was mutual; there was no need to quibble over who took advantage of whom.
But back in a safe environment, if she were to choose rationally, she would rather start over from scratch than sell her body and dignity.
Furthermore, a top-tier tycoon like him likely wanted a woman who was submissive, flattering, and eager to please.
She couldn’t do that.
Su Ran asked bluntly, “If I don’t agree, will you not invest?”
Lu Jingxing leaned back against his chair, his face returning to a cold, stern expression. “These are two separate matters. Whether the private matter works out or not won’t affect my professional judgment.”
When Lu Jingxing turned serious, he possessed an aura that commanded genuine trust. It seemed that if he said the two wouldn’t interfere with each other, he would indeed be impartial.
But in Su Ran’s experience, whether they were ugly or handsome, the words of men and capitalists were less reliable the more solemnly they were spoken.
His “professional judgment” likely meant: Although we shared a bed, that won’t change the fact that your financing project is substandard.
“Thank you for your professionalism. I don’t have any plans in that regard for the time being.”
“For the time being,” Lu Jingxing repeated her words. His long, well-defined finger pressed against the room card, slowly sliding it toward her. “It’s fine. Whenever you feel like it, anytime.”